Ornamental necktie clasp



Dec. 11, 1951 F, CHlCHESTER 2,578,508

ORNAMENTAL NECKTIE CLASP Filed Jan. 27. 1949 /5 D) [I5/U2 n n 7/-5 J5 INVENToR.

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 oRNAMEN'rAL NEoK'rIE CLASP Irving F. Chichester, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Hickok Manufacturing Co. Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation 'of New York Application January 27, 1949, Serial No. 73,192

2 Claims.

jewelry and has reference particularly to a vnovel necktie clasp. p y

One object of the invention is to provide an improved necktie clasp having afront portion to fit over the front of a necktie and adapted to removably hold initial letters or other character elements so that the same will be displayed to present with the front portion or bar an attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved necktie clasp of simple, inexpensive construction, having a character holder front portion or bar of the kind referred to that will enable the ready selective association and locking of character elements on the front portion or bar and will permit of easy removal of the character elements for rearrangement or the substitution of others.

The invention contemplates a necktie clasp having a relatively long, slender, tubular front portion or bar adapted to receive therein attaching portions of character elements or members, and an important novel feature of the invention resides in the particular construction of the tubular front portion or bar and the connection of the same to a rear clamping member whereby the tubular front portion or bar is closed at one end and reinforced by the connecting means, and a simple, strong, eflicient clasp is provided that can be manufactured at low cost.

Another important novel feature of the invention resides in the special construction of character elements provided, formed with a retaining lug or lugs to slidably iit within the tubular front portion' of the clasp and so designed as to facilitate the insertion of the same therein and to cooperate therewith to provide a secure mounting of the character elements on the tubular front portion of the clasp.

A further particularly important novel chari construction, combination and arrangement of parts comprising the same, will be understood from the following detail description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and illustrating a number of embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a necktie clasp constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section, to an enlarged scale, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the character elements taken from the rear side thereof;

Fig. 'I is a detail sectional view on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail longitudinal sectional view, to an enlarged scale, on the line 8--8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 10 is a top plan View of the construction shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. l1 is a horizontal section on the line I I--l I of Fig. 9, the character elements being shown in locked position on the tubular front portion;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 11, but with the coiled spring under compression and the intermediate character element in position with its central retaining lug in register with the transverse slot in the top of the tubular front f portion; I

Fig. 13 is a vertical section on the line l3-I3 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a transverse section, to an enlarged scale, on the line I4-I4 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 15 is a transverse section on the line I5-l of Fig. l0;

Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view of one of the character elements taken from the rear side thereof;

Fig. 17 is a detail rear perspective view of the innermost of the character elements at the left hand end of the tubular front portion.

While a number of embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that minor changes and modications may be made in the particular constructions shown, and the invention may be embodied in still other forms, as will appeal to those skilled in the art and falling within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to a detail description of the particular embodimentof the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, the construction shown comprises a relatively long, slender, tubular front portion or bar I and a rear spring-pressed clamping member 2, pivotally connected intermediate its ends to one end of an arm 3 which has at its other end a return bend 4 terminating in a straight part 5 that is rigidly secured to one end of the tubular front portion or bar I. The tubular front portion I is rectangular shaped in cross section and of relatively small cross sectional size, the same having top and bottom walls 6 and 'I and front and rear walls 8 and 9. The straight terminal part 5 of the arm 3 is of a shape in cross section corresponding to that of the tubular front portion or bar I and of a size in cross section to nt within an end portion thereof, and is soldered into the same. The terminal part 5 of the arm 3 closes the tubular front portion I at one end and reinforces the same, the particular arrangement resulting in a simple, strong, efficient clasp structure.

The tubular front portion or bar I is provided with a longitudinal slot Iii in the top wall 5 thereof adjoining the front side wall e. The slot I0 extends throughout the greater part of the length of the vtubular front portion. It terminates at each end a short distance from the adjacent end of the tubular front portion. The tubular front portion or bar I is made from rela'- tively thin rectangular shaped metal tubing, the slot il) being milled in the top wall S. At that end of the longitudinal slot ID which is near the open free end portion of the tubular front portion l, a detent II is provided, that portion of the top Wall S between the free open end of the tubular front portion and the adjacent end or the longitudinal slot I0 being severed at l2 from the top of the front side wall 8, and said top wail portion being cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, to form the detent part II, which has a longitudinal free side edge I3 extending at an inclination laterally from the adjacent end of the longitudinal slot I to the adjacent open free end portion of the tubular front portion I, said part gradually increasing in. width from the open free end portion of the tubular front portion I to the adjacent end of the longitudinal slot I il, at which point it normally extends close to the front wall 6 to close the end of the slot I0.

The detent part II is adapted. due to the resilience of the connecting bottom wall 'i and side walls 8 and 9 of the tubular front portion l, to be sprung laterally by pressure exerted against its inclined edge I3 far enough from the front side wall 8 to provide a passageway between the forward end of the detent SI and the front side wall 6 from the open free end of the tubular front portion I to the longitudinal slot ill, the detent part H springing back to position close to the front side wall 8 to close the end of the longitudinal slot I0 when released from lateral pressure. The inclined edge portion I3 of the detent il is preferably curved, as shown, and the forward edge I3J of the detent is slightly inclined forwardly.

Supported on the tubular front portion or bar l are a plurality of character elements or members I4. In the present instance there are three individual character elements and these are illustrated as initial letters S, R, H. The character elements or members I4 are constructed from sheet metal. Metal of about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness is preferably employed for the character elements. Each of the character elements I4 has a lower or base portion I5 below the initial letter thereof, -provided with alongitudinal groove I6 in its rear face to t around the edge portion of the top wall 6 adjoining the longitudinal slot I0. The lower or base portion I5 of each of the character elements has a lug I'I at each end thereof projecting laterally and rearwardly therefrom at substantially a right angle thereto, said lugs at the juncture of the same with the lower front portion or base I5 being slightly rounded or curved, as shown. The lugs I'I are rectangular shaped and of a size to slidably t within the tubular front portion or bar I and when engaged therewith act to firmly hold the character elements I4 on the tubular front portion I in upright position relatively thereto.

In assembling the character elements I4 on the tubular front portion I, the retaining lugs Il of the character elements can be easily inserted within the open free end portion of the tubular front portion by holding the character element at a slight angle to the tubular front portion and inserting the outer end of one of the retaining lugs II into the open end thereof, then turning the character element into longitudinal alignment with the tubular front portion and pushing it into the same past the detent II, the latter being sprung laterally to permit the readyl passage of the base portion I5 of the character element into the longitudinal slot IG. After the insertion of the character element into the slot It, the detent springs back to normal position to close the end of the slot, the parts being so proportioned that when all three of the character elements I4 have been inserted into the longitudinal slot I0, the innermost character element abuts against the outer end of the straight part 5 of the arm 3, and the forward edge I 3'NL of the detent engages the outer end edge of the character part of the outermost of the character elements, the latter being thus locked in position on the tubular front portion or bar I. As will be understood, should it be desired to remove the character elements I4 from the tubular front portion I for rearrangement or substitution of others, it is only necessary to apply slight lateral pressure against the inclined side edge I3 of the detent I I to spring the same away from the front wall 8 sufficiently to permit the sliding of the character elementsV outwardly past the same.

The particular construction hereinbefore set forth provides a simple, strong, efficient clasp structure having a tubular front portion or bar adapted to extend over the front of a necktie and adapted to removably hold character elements thereon so that the same will be displayed to present therewith a pleasing ornamental appearance. The character elements are economically constructed of sheet metal, the retaining lug extensions thereof being so designed as to be readily inserted within the tubular front portion or bar and serving to firmly retain the character elements in upright position thereon. The means for locking the character elements on the tubular front portion or bar is of simple, eicient construction. It operates automatically to lock the character elements in position. It can be easily manipulated to permit of the removal of the character elements from the tubular front portion and the same is self contained or formed as an integral part of the tubular front portion.

The modified form of the device illustrated in Figs. 9 to 17, like the construction of clasp hereinbefore described and shown in Figs. 1 to 8, comprises a tubular front portion or bar and a rear clamping member connected tothe tubular front portion by an arm having at one end a return bend terminating in a straight part that fits within and is secured to one end portion of the tubular front portion. In this modiiied construction, the rear clamping member, designated I8, is in the form of a spring clip instead of a lever type clamping member, the spring clip being connected at its inner end with one end of the connecting arm y I9. The return bend of the connecting arm has a straight terminal part 2l which is soldered into one end portion of the tubular front portion or bar 22, the latter being rectangular shaped in cross section and having top and bottom walls 23 and 24, and front and rear walls 25 and 26. The tubular front portion or bar 22 is provided with a longitudinal slot 2l in its top wall 23 adjoining the front side wall 29, extending a short distance from the opposite ends of the tubular front portion. A short transverse slot 28 is also provided in the top wall this transverse slot intersecting the longitudinal slot 27 substantially centrally of the ends thereof. Within the tubular front portion. or bar 22 is a coiled spring 29 having one end thereof bearing against the outer end of the straight terminal part 2l of the connecting arm 3.

On the tubular front portion 22 are three individual character elements 39, 3i and 32, of general plate-like form and each having a base portion 33 adapted to slidably engage the longitudinal slot 27. 39 has a rectangular shaped lug extension 34 at each end thereof extending rearwardly therefrom, adapted to slidably nt within the tubular front portion or bar 22 and to be inserted into the same through the central transverse slot 28. The character elements 3l and 32 each have extending rearwardly irom its base portion 33, intermediate the ends thereof, a rectangular shaped lug 35 struck out therefrom. The lug 35, which extends at right angles to the base portion 33, is adapted to slidably t within the tubular front portion 22 and to be entered therein through the transverse slot 28.

In assembling the character elements 30, 3l and l 32 on the tubular front portion or bar 22, the character element 39 is first mounted therein and moved to the inner end of the longitudinal slot 27 with its innermost retaining lug 34 abutting against one end of the coiled expansion spring 29. One of the other character elements 3| or 32, for example, the latter, is then mounted on the tubular front portion or bar 22 and moved to the extreme right hand end of the longitudinal slot 21. The parts are so proportioned that in order to mount the other character element 3i on the bar, the innermost character element at the inner end of the tubular front portion or bar 22 is grasped and forced rearwardly to compress the coiled expansion spring 29. The character element 3| is then mounted on the tubular front portion, after which the innermost character element 30 is released, permitting the coiled spring 29 to expand and force the intermediate character element 3| toward the free end of the tubular front portion so that its retaining lug 35 is moved out of register with the transverse slot 28,

' the character elements being then held securely locked on the tubular front portion or bar.

This application contains similar subject matter to subject matter disclosed in copending applications Serial Nos. '73,191 and 73,193. The present application, Serial No. 73,192, differs principally from the other cases by the particular The innermost character element.

(Si)v means disclosed therein for locking the character elements within the tubular front portion of the clasp.

What I claim is:

1. A necktie clasp including an elongated tubular front portion to t over the front of a necktie, a rear clamping member connected with the tubular front portion, said tubular front portion being constructed of metal tubing rectangular shaped in cross section and having relatively thin walls, said tubular front portion having a longitudinal slot in its top wall extending a short distance from one end thereof, that portion of the top wall between said end of the slot and the adjacent end of the tubular front portion being severed on a line formingr a continuation of one side edge of said slot, and said top wall portion at one side of the line of severance thereof from the side wall being formed to provide a detent portion adapted to close the adjacent end of the longitudinal slot, and a plurality of character elements of general plate-like form each having a lower part to slidably t in said longitudinal slot, said lower part having a laterally extending lug extension to slidably t within said tubular front portion to hold the character element thereon with its character standing out from the top wall thereof, said detent portion having an outer side edge inclined laterally toward the adjacent end of the longitudinal slot, the detent portion being adapted to permit the insertion of the character elements into the slot and to lock the same there- 2. A necktie clasp including an elongated tubular front portion to t over the front of a necktie, said tubular front portion being constructed of metal tubing and being open at one end and provided with a longitudinal slot in its top wall extending a short distance from said open end of the tubular front portion, a plurality of character elements of general plate-like form each having a lower part to slidably t in said slot, said lower part having a laterally extending lug to slidably t within said tubular front portion to hold the character element thereon with its character standing out from the top wall thereof, and a laterally bodily yieldable wall portion extending laterally from one side wall of the tubular front portion at the open end thereof at the adjacent end of said slot and forming a detent normally closing said end of the slot and movable laterally to permit the insertion of the character element past the same into said slot from the open end of the tubular front portion and to lock the character element in position in said slot.

IRVING F. CHICHESTER.

REFERENCE-S CITED The following references arekof record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 229,628 McKelvey July 6, 1880 1,271,804 Thunell July 9, 1918 1,797,114 Adams Mar. 17, 1931 1,890,320 Field Dec. 6, 1932 1,912,852 Lebel June 6 1933 2,008,624 Mix July 16, 1935 2,037,670 Wilson Apr. 14, 1936 2,040,012 Mix May 4, 1936 2,058,168 Merk Oct. 20, 1936 

